8/10

Throughout her tenure, Swedish artist Tove Lo has stood as one of the more inventive and explorative names on the alt-pop scene. While occasionally breaking through to the mainstream with a flurry of hit records over the years, she has largely looked to venture into the more abstract and unknown territories, channelling influence and expertise from a varied array of other artists and composers. And now after a few years since the rapturous response to her 2019 LP 'Sunshine Kitty', she has now returned to deliver her fifth studio album 'Dirt Femme', a record that looks to broaden her musical horizons once again.

Just a quick look at the producers list of this new release and it is clear what her intentions are with this new collection. With the likes of SG Lewis and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaur adding their own distinctive flair to this new offering, 'Dirt Femme' instantly feels like the next bold step in her musical evolution. While her sound and ambitions remain largely untarnished here, there is this underbelly of fresh and innovative ideals running throughout her newest full-length as she once again looks to push not only her style forward, but that of other contemporaries around her as well.

Tove Lo will always maintain a reputation for breaking the mould, but with 'Dirt Femme', it feels like she is finally becoming her own artist unblemished by any outside interference. There is a wondrous sense of self-discovery running throughout her latest work, yet feels like she is far from done with her journey yet.